Wolf Pack Drop 3-1 Decision to Manchester

Jordan Weal had a goal and an assist, and Jean-Francois Berube made 31 saves Saturday night at the XL Center, as the Manchester Monarchs defeated the Wolf Pack by a score of 3-1.

Nick Deslauriers scored the power-play game-winning goal for Manchester, and Cameron Burt also scored. Darroll Powe had the only Hartford goal, and Jason Missiaen made 30 saves.

The loss dropped the Wolf Pack (9-10-0-2, 20 pts.) below the .500 mark for the first time on the season. The Eastern Conference-leading Monarchs improved to 15-3-1-3 for 34 points.

The only goal of the first period came at the 5:16 mark of the first period, with Burt scoring his first career AHL tally. Burt, playing only his fifth game with the Monarchs on a callup from Ontario of the ECHL, whipped a shot past Missiaen on the catching-glove side, after Hartford was unable to break cleanly out of its own zone.

Missiaen kept it a 1-0 game by stopping a Deslauriers penalty-shot attempt at 14:36 of the second period, after Deslauriers was hooked from behind by Pack defenseman Brendon Nash.

The Wolf Pack then tied the score at 17:41, on Powe’s third goal of the season. Dylan McIlrath slapped the puck toward the net and it deflected into the face of Manchester’s Brandon Kozun. With Kozun compromised and Monarch defenseman Jeff Schultz having lost his stick, Powe took advantage, putting a shot from the right-wing circle through Schultz’ legs and high into the net behind Berube.

Deslauriers victimized the Wolf Pack on a power play just 1:19 later, though, putting the Monarchs back ahead with a shot from the right point at 19:00, seconds after Missiaen had made a tremendous save on a wraparound attempt by Zach O’Brien.

The Wolf Pack had 12 shots on goal in the third period but could not beat Berube, and Weal added an insurance goal for Manchester at 7:51 of the third. Weal intercepted a Nash pass in the Wolf Pack zone and broke in alone on Missiaen, faking and scoring on the backhand.

The Wolf Pack’s next game is this Friday night, December 6, when they travel to Glens Falls, NY to meet the Adirondack Phantoms. Faceoff is 7:00 PM, and all the action can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio. Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack are back on home ice at the XL Center next Sunday, hosting the Springfield Falcons at 3:00 PM. At every Wolf Pack Sunday home game in 2013-14, fans can take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Sunday Family Value Packs”. Those include two tickets, two hot dogs and two sodas, starting at only $35.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger. To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.